RoboRally

Infobox_Game
subject_name = RoboRally
image_link =
image_caption= Players control robots with "program cards" in order to survive and reach checkpoints.
players = 2–8
ages = 10+
setup_time = 10 minutes
playing_time = 120 minutes
complexity = Medium
strategy = High
random_chance= Medium
skills = Simple programming
footnotes =

"RoboRally" is a board game originally published in 1994 by Wizards of the Coast (WotC). It was designed by Richard Garfield, the creator of the card game "". The game and its expansions received a total of four Origins Awards. [cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1994/list-of-winners| title=Origins Award Winners (1994)| publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design| accessdate=2007-10-29] [cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1995/list-of-winners| title=Origins Award Winners (1995)| publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design| accessdate=2007-10-29] [cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1997/list-of-winners| title=Origins Award Winners (1997)| publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design| accessdate=2007-10-29] "RoboRally" was rereleased in July 2005 under the Avalon Hill label.

Gameplay

In "RoboRally", players assume control of one of many "Robot Control Computers" in a dangerous widget factory filled with moving, course-altering conveyor belts, metal-melting laser beams, bottomless pits, crushers, and a variety of other obstacles. The goal in a game of "RoboRally" is, apart from survival, to be the first to reach a pre-designated number of checkpoints in a particular order. However, the real difficulty in "RoboRally" is movement, which is accomplished with the randomly dealt "program cards".

The program cards specify movement, such as move one space forward, turn left or U-turn. The cards have to be arranged by the player in the specific manner they wish the robot to move. Each player receives up to nine cards each turn. They use five of the cards to specify their robot's movement for the given turn, playing each card face down into one of five available "registers". All robots move simultaneously, each player revealing each register in turn. Robots attempting to move into the same space at the same time are resolved by priority numbers printed on the cards. Players with damaged robots receive fewer cards: with one point of damage, the player receives eight cards, with two points, seven cards, and so on. When a player's robot takes five or more points of damage, its registers become "locked," keeping specific program cards in play until the robot is repaired. Each player has a very limited amount of time to place their cards, which combined with the unpredictability of the plans of the other players, often leads to one's robots moving in unexpected ways.

Robots can also carry optional weapons and devices, which add to the carnage and mayhem. These devices can cause additional damage, allow robots to move differently, affect the movement of other robots, and disrupt opponents' plans in other ways.

The basic game includes six different boards, which allow players variety of play as well as the ability to alter the length or difficulty of games.

The original metal pieces in "RoboRally" were designed by Phil Foglio, who also did the artwork for the game. The "Crash and Burn", "Grand Prix", and "Radioactive" expansions were designed by Glenn Elliott.

Editions and expansions (with board names)

Between 1994 and 1999 Wizards of the Coast (WotC) released the original game, four expansion sets, and a limited edition board.
* RoboRally "(WotC, 1994)": Basic boards (6), unpainted metal miniatures (8), movement cards, option cards, and counters.
* Armed and Dangerous "(WotC, 1995)": Additional boards (6), additional option cards, and counters.
* Crash and Burn "(WotC, 1997)": Additional boards (2)
* Grand Prix "(WotC, 1997)": Additional boards (3), with randomly selected reprinted basic boards on the backs.
* Radioactive "(WotC, 1998)": Additional boards (3)
* Origins ’99 "(WotC, 1999)": A single new board ("King of the Hill"), only given to finalists in the championship tournament.

In Europe (German by [http://www.amigo-spiele.com/ Amigo] , and Dutch by [http://www.999games.nl/ 999 Games] ), a different series was released. It incorporated a few rules changes and fewer components to make the game simpler. The damage and life tokens are larger and thicker than those of the original American release. The movement cards are color-coded. "Forward" ("Move") cards have blue arrows, "Backward" ("Back Up") cards have red ones and "Turn" cards yellow ones.

* RoboRally "(Amigo, 1999)" and "(999 Games, 2000)": Basic boards (4, lettered instead of named), prepainted plastic bots (4), movement cards, counters.
* Crash & Burn "(Amigo, 2000)": Additional boards (4, lettered instead of named), prepainted plastic bots (4), option cards.

The Avalon Hill edition also changed the cards. The new "Move" cards have only an arrow in the corner instead of the number with the arrow, which means you have to look at the full face of the card to distinguish them. It also has larger counters. Character sheets were introduced to track damage, life counters, power-down status, and program cards. Each sheet also contains a copy of the turn sequence for reference. The graphics have been redesigned to make the functionality of board elements clearer. The rules were also simplified to remove the concept of virtual robots.

* RoboRally "(Avalon Hill, 2005)": Double-sided boards (4), Docking Bay (a double-sided starting grid, one-third the size of a regular board), plastic bots (8), movement cards, option cards, plastic flags, and counters.
The board combinations are "Chop Shop" & "Island", "Spin Zone" & "Maelstrom", "Chess" & "Cross", and "Vault" & "Exchange".

Online

A large number of additional game boards and elements are available via Internet communities, created by fans of the game.

In August 2008, GameTableOnline.com licensed the rights for an online version of "RoboRally" from Wizards of the Coast. [cite web |url=http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=25547 |title=GameTable Online Adopts Wizard's Online Boardgames |date=August 18, 2008 |first=Marc |last=Shayed |publisher=GamingReport.com]

References

External links

* Wizards of the Coast's [http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=ah/prod/roborally "RoboRally" home page]
** [http://www.gametableonline.com/gameinfo.php?gid=25 "RoboRally" online] at "GameTable Online"
* [http://www.roborally.nl/ General information site about "RoboRally"]
* [http://www.roborally.com/ FAQ and printable boards for "RoboRally"]
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